Benue Journalists call on US, Russia to stop genocide against Benue people

Members of Benue Journalists’ Forum Nigeria (BJFN), an association of professional journalists of Benue State extraction have called on the President of the United States of American, Donald J. Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to save Benue indigenes of North Central Nigeria from extinction as a result of sustained unprovoked attacks on the helpless citizens from Fulani Herdsmen Terrorists.

The National President of the Forum, Comrade Joseph Saater Undu who made this call in a statement in Lagos said the call had become necessary following the inability of the Nigerian security agencies to halt the calculated genocide against the people of the state.

Undu regretted that the Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces and grand patron of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, an organization known to be the main sponsor of this terrorist group, President Muhammadu Buhari had continued to maintain a dignified silence as his kinsmen carry out dastardly attacks on helpless citizens including women and children.

“We had last year on the 4th of October, 2017 issued a widely publicized press statement titled “OVER 400 UNKNOWN ARMED MEN CAMP IN BENUE COMMUNITY”, alerting the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris and the public about the threats by herdsmen and their sponsors to take over Benue valley by attacking it from six fronts namely, Kwande, Guma, Konshisha, Vande-Ikyaa and Gwer respectively.

“Unfortunately, this alarm was not taken seriously by the presidency and the security agencies until these marauders made real their threats following the new year unprovoked and unchallenged barbaric genocide against our people in Logo and Guma Local Government areas respectively.

“This is coming on the heels of the failure of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore to arm-twist the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/527/2017 to stop the historic Anti-Open Grazing Law enacted by the Benue State Government to prohibit open grazing on farms.

“We have lost confidence in the security architecture of this great country, hence our call on the international community to come to our aid.

“Recall that, Fulani herdsmen terrorists were ranked recently as the fourth most deadly terrorist organization in the world. And since we do not have any military might to fight them, we hereby call on Presidents Trump and Putin to give them ISIS treatment which ended the war in Syria.

“We call on the Nigerian Police to immediately arrest all the leaders of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore led by Alhaji Abdullahi Bello Bodojo and Secretary, Saleh Alhassan and bring them to justice. They are not above the law.

“We also call on the IGP to immediately remove the Commissioner of Police in Benue state, CP Bashiru Makama who had earlier confirmed our suspicion of complicity in these attacks on Channels TV where he said “we will only enforce lawful laws.”

“We no longer have confidence in him again! He has failed to enforce legitimate laws passed by the state legislature. His continued stay in the state may further aggravate the already tense atmosphere.

“By this statement, we urge the Nigerian Ambassadors to Russia and the United states of America to table our plight to the authorities concerned. And urge Benue indigenes in America, Europe, Asia and all over the world to tell the United Nation that, Benue lives matter, through massive demonstrations”, he said.

He however commiserated with the families of the over 50 victims whose decapitated bodies had been so far recovered while wishing the injured speedy recovery.

“We also sympathize with Benue Traditional Council led by His Royal Majesty Tor Tiv V, Prof. James Ayatse, the good people of Benue state and government over this callous act against them.

“We will not rest on our oars until justice is done and peace restored to our communities”, he concluded.

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